When you head down the coast highway south from Hurghada and carry on for close to an hour or so, you will come to the town of El Quseir. At the centre of the town which continues to be relatively untouched by Egypt's growing holiday industry, is the Fort which dates back as far as 1571.
The Fort was initially built by Sultan Selim I at a time El Quseir was amongst the most important ports in Egypt. Together with being an essential part in trade routes, Quseir was the departure point for Hajj pilgrims on their journey to Mecca.
At the end of the 18th century, the French army under the command of Napoleon took charge of the fort and they held it until the British forced them to surrender two years later. It kick offed of a series of events that saw the British overcome Napoleon's forces in Egypt later in the year.
The British rapidly moved on and the subsequent years saw the Fort at El Quseir used as a base by Muhammad Ali Pasha in his wars against Arabia. In 1869, the Suez Canal began to operate linking the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea. For that reason, the strategic importance of the fort was significantly reduced. It is working life ended in 1975 immediately after many years service as a base of the Egyptian Coast Guard.
Today, the Fort at El Quseir is a modest tourist attraction for people taking a Red Sea holiday. The town itself doesn't receive many tourists and the two hotels at El Quseir are self contained resorts away from the centre. There is a modest entrance fee to gain access to the Fort which contains plenty of displays documenting it's background in addition to some pieces from the era once Italian investment came to Quseir from a phosphate company.
The Fort was initially built by Sultan Selim I at a time El Quseir was amongst the most important ports in Egypt. Together with being an essential part in trade routes, Quseir was the departure point for Hajj pilgrims on their journey to Mecca.
At the end of the 18th century, the French army under the command of Napoleon took charge of the fort and they held it until the British forced them to surrender two years later. It kick offed of a series of events that saw the British overcome Napoleon's forces in Egypt later in the year.
The British rapidly moved on and the subsequent years saw the Fort at El Quseir used as a base by Muhammad Ali Pasha in his wars against Arabia. In 1869, the Suez Canal began to operate linking the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea. For that reason, the strategic importance of the fort was significantly reduced. It is working life ended in 1975 immediately after many years service as a base of the Egyptian Coast Guard.
Today, the Fort at El Quseir is a modest tourist attraction for people taking a Red Sea holiday. The town itself doesn't receive many tourists and the two hotels at El Quseir are self contained resorts away from the centre. There is a modest entrance fee to gain access to the Fort which contains plenty of displays documenting it's background in addition to some pieces from the era once Italian investment came to Quseir from a phosphate company.
About the Author:
The Southern Egyptian coast is still relatively tranquil and El Quseir is an original Egyptian town which is definitely worth seeing.
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